Phidim, October 3:

The Maoists today released the coordinator of the Panchthar chapter of Environment Forum Nepal, Deuman Khatri, whom they had abducted a week ago.

Khatri was abducted for not paying a 10 per cent cut of the programme’s budget for the Phidim-Yangam-Phalaut rural road. Khatri said Maoist cadres Santosh and Bikas kidnapped him from the programme’s Dairy bazaar office in Nangin VDC 6 and took him to Jorbutey. The Maoists had demanded Rs 9,40,000 of the programme’s road budget of Rs 94,00,000. Over 10 rights organisations had appealed to the Maoists to release Khatri.